Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman has issued a stark warning about the impact of self-checkout technology on shoplifting rates across UK stores. Serving as M&S chair since 2017, Norman explained that the rise of self-service checkouts has weakened the crucial “human link” between shoppers and store staff, inadvertently encouraging theft.
He elaborated: “Normally honest customers, when confronted with a scanner error and no staff supervision, may feel tempted to put items back into their basket without paying.” Norman stressed, however, that the solution is not simply to reintroduce staffed checkouts, but to make self-checkout machines easier and more user-friendly.
Under his leadership, M&S has installed hundreds of self-service machines nationwide. Despite this technological investment, Norman voiced frustration with rising crime levels, particularly in London, where M&S retail director Thinus Keeve criticized Mayor Sadiq Khan’s handling of the situation.
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Norman attributed the escalation in shoplifting to insufficient police intervention, especially regarding organised groups targeting stores. “When gangs of youths sweep shelves bare, it becomes a matter for the police — it demands a proactive response,” he said. He warned such incidents undermine public safety and deter ordinary shoppers.
Lucy Whing, representing the British Retail Consortium, echoed concerns about the prevalence of organised retail crime, describing it as a systemic threat that jeopardises stores across the nation.
Adding to the conversation, Lord Richard Walker of Iceland highlighted how shoplifting is exacerbating the cost of living crisis by impacting staff wages and reducing retailers' ability to lower prices. He urged the Information Commissioner’s Office to support retailers by endorsing technologies like facial recognition to better combat theft.